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MUMBAI - TEMASEK Holdings has sought the Indian prime minister's intervention in a dispute over new rules on the allocation of mobile phone spectrum, the Economic Times said.
Temasek controls Singapore Telecommunications, which owns more than 30 per cent in India's No. 1 mobile operator Bharti Airtel.
Spectrum allocation recommendations by the telecom regulator 'risked making private operators sub-scale, when they had a real window of opportunity to be global champions', the paper on Friday cited Temasek Chief Executive Ho Ching as saying in the letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
'As a long-term investor in India, it is my sincere suggestion that you invite your regulators to consider the best practices and exchanges with other regulators,' the Nov 15 letter said, the paper reported.
In the letter, Ms Ho told the Prime Minister that wireless spectrum was perhaps the most critical element of an operator's ability to increase coverage, and an open dialogue with private operators would help develop a consensus which would be advantageous to India's interest, the paper said.
India is the world's fastest growing mobile services market and is adding about 8 million users a month, but the boom has caused a strain on scarce spectrum, which is distributed on the basis of the number of subscribers an operator has.
In October, the government accepted the telecom regulator's recommendations to raise the minimum number of subscribers needed for additional allocation, and to allow operators to provide services on both GSM and CDMA platforms.
Private operators including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar have called for a review of the proposals.
The telecoms tribunal has directed the government not to issue fresh spectrum to wireless firms until mid-December as it considers opposition to the proposed new rules.
The next tribunal hearing is on Dec 12. -- REUTERS
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